1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for finishing cellulose fiber-containing textile fabrics, and more particularly, to an improved method for finishing cellulose fiber-containing textile fabrics wherein the textile fabrics are improved in shape stabilities including, for example, shrink and crease resistances and an amount of residual formaldehyde is reduced when formaldehyde resin finishing agents are used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to impart good shape stabilities, such as shrink and crease resistances, to cellulose fiber textile fabrics, various studies have been hitherto made on resin finishing agents and resin finishing methods.
The reason why textiles suffer creases or shrinkage is that hydrogen bonds in non-crystalline regions of cellulose are broken and deformed by an external force or by the action of moisture, under which hydrogen bonds are once again formed.
The impartment of a crease or shrink resistance by the resin finishing of textiles makes use of the principle that cellulose molecules are crosslinked through a resin finishing agent, and hydrogen bonds are unlikely to be broken by an external force or by the action of moisture owing to the introduction of the crosslinkage. In this case, it is usual to use so-called cellulose reactive type resins, such as glyoxal resins, as the resin finishing agent.
However, conventional resin finishing methods have problems which run counter to each other: More particularly, where an amount of a resin to be applied to is increased for the purpose of enhancing the crease or shrink resistance, an amount of residual formaldehyde inevitably increases. On the other hand, when the amount of a resin is decreased, the crease or shrink resistance lowers. In practice, the resin finishing has now been carried out while well balancing the crease or shrink resistance and the increase in amount of residual formaldehyde, which are contrary in nature to each other.
In order to prevent plumelets from escaping, for example, from feather quilts, there is used a method wherein a cotton woven fabric for feather quilt is subjected to high-pressure calendering to reduce air permeability thereof. However, cotton fabrics are very liable to crease and undergoes shrinkage by washing. In this connection, however, if cotton fabrics are treated with liquid ammonia, creases decrease in number with an improved shrink resistance. When such fabrics are washed, air permeability increases with the possibility of permitting plumelets to escape. On the other hand, when resins are used in combination, the permeability can be kept low to an extent after washing, but still unsatisfactory. In addition, such a fabric feels hard to the touch, coupled with another problem on the residual formaldehyde derived from resins, which have been ordinarily employed as described above. This, in turn, presents the problem that a difficulty is involved in carrying out the resin finishing in the field, such as of feather quilt, where residual formaldehyde is severely regulated.